To the editor:

I think the “Orders Home” program is a great idea for the community.

It is very important to make sure our veterans are taken care of when they return home. The place they return home to also plays an important factor in their transition back to civilian life. As pointed out in the editorial titled “Veterans support important” (Feb. 27), “Service members transitioning out of the service into more rural, underserved areas are more at risk.”

Where you are from truly does determine the number and type of opportunities you receive. I believe that being able to have peer support for things such as jobs, debt and mental health is crucial to our veterans.

I also completely agree that low mental health and high suicide rates are major and somewhat overlooked problems in the United States. We need to realize that these are not the private struggles of singular veterans, but it has become a major public issue that over time has become more severe. Now that we have acknowledged this, we are able to get our veterans the support they deserve.

Nick Johnson

Smithfield